Aeschylus Eumenides 526

Guilielmus Dindorfius (Editor)

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μήτ᾽ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσῃς. παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν,
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
530
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
535
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.

Eumenides. Aeschylus. Guilielmus Dindorfius (Editor). Lipsiae. 1882.

Sponsored by Perseus Project, Tufts University.

Funding provided by Schmidt Sciences.

Current edition Experimental

Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) (Greek) (Εὐμενίδες. Guilielmus Dindorfius, 1882.)

Provisional text from uncorrected OCR; expect errors.

Editions (11)
Εὐμενίδες First1KGreek (Aeschyli Tragoediae. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1902.) — 490-565 focus
Εὐμενίδες Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, editor. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926.) — 490-565 focus
Εὐμενίδες (1518 edition; OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides, 1518 edition. VLM-assisted OCR with native lineation and automated correspondence to the Smyth edition.) — 526 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Gottfried Hermann, 1852.) — 526 focus
μήτ' ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
520
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἀλλ᾽
ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυςσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
525
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
αὖ φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ (OCR draft) Experimental (ΕΥΜΕΝΙΔΕΣ. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 526 focus
Μήτ' ἀνάρχετον ἄναρκτον ἀνάρκητον ἀνάρκετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον -μενόν γ'
αἰνέσῃς·
παντὶ ἅπαντι μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς
ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ' ἄλλα | ἄλλαι δ' (ἄλλα δι' forsan M1) ἄλλα δ' ἄλλα δ' ἐφορεύει.
530
Ξύμμετρον δ' ἔπος λέγω·
δυσσεβίας -βείας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος
ὡς ἐτύμως, ἐκ δ' ὑγιεί-
ας φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος πᾶσι φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
535
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Arthur Sidgwick, 1887.) — 526 focus
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. N. Wecklein, 1885.) — 526 focus
μήτ' ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
530
αἰνέσης.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος
θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽
ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω·
535
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις
τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως,
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσι φίλος καὶ
πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
540
3
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Εὐμενίδες. Martin L. West, 1990.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾽ ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσηις·
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὥπασεν,
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλαι δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
530
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω·
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως,
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
535
Aeschyli Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschyli Eumenides. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1914.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾽ ἄναρκτον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
525
αἰνέσηις.
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλ-
λαι δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
Σύμμετρον $\delta^{\circ}$ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
530
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος. –
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by F. A. Paley, 1885.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾿ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσῳ τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν·
ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾳ δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
505
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
Εὐμενίδες (OCR draft) Experimental (Greek text of Aeschylus' Eumenides, edited by Friedrich Blass, 1907.) — 526 focus
μήτ᾿ ἀνάρχετον βίον
μήτε δεσποτούμενον
στρ. γ
αἰνέσῃς.
παντὶ μέσωι τὸ κράτος θεὸς ὤπασεν, ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλᾶι
530
δ᾽ ἐφορεύει.
ξύμμετρον δ᾽ ἔπος λέγω,
δυσσεβίας μὲν ὕβρις τέκος ὡς ἐτύμως·
ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας
535
φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσιν φίλος
καὶ πολύευκτος ὄλβος.
Translations (10)
Eumenides Perseus (Aeschylus, Volume 2. Smyth, Herbert Weir, translator. London; New York: William Heinemann; G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1926. (Modernized by Perseus.)) — 490-565 focus
The Eumenides (OCR draft) Experimental (The Eumenides. Theodore Alois Buckley, 1849.) — 526 focus
Praise neither a life free from rule, nor lorded over; to every mean the god affords power, but other things he differently regards. But I speak a fitting word; insolence is the child of impiety, most assuredly; but from sanity of mind tomes prosperity dear to all and much sought.
LES EUMÉNIDES (OCR draft) Experimental (LES EUMÉNIDES. Paul Mazon, 1920-1925.) — 526 focus
dans l'anarchie que sous le despotisme 1 . Partout triomphe la mesure: c'est le privilège que lui ont octroyé les dieux, le seul qui restreigne leur
pouvoir capricieux 2 . Et n'est-il pas à propos de le répéter ici? s'il est avéré que la démesure est fille de l'impiété 3 ,
The Furies (OCR draft) Experimental (The Furies. Robert Potter, 1779.) — 526 focus
Shall he, the wretch that ſcorns controul,
580
And ſpurns each ſacred law,
Or he that drags his chain with ſervile awe,
Feel the ſweet peace that calms the virtuous ſoul?
ANTISTROPHE 2.
Placed in the midſt does ſtrength reſide.
With an indignant frown
585
On each extreme the Gods look down;
Injuſtice is the child of impious pride.
But all the joys, that life can know,
From temper'd wiſdom flow.
To juſtice chief thy ſoul incline,
590
And bow with reverence at her hallow'd ſhrine.
Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli (OCR draft) Experimental (Eschilo, Le Eumenidi: traduzione italiana di Ettore Romagnoli. Ettore Romagnoli, 1922.) — 526 focus
Niuno ormai, se la sciagura
lo percuota, osi levare
piú le supplici parole:
560
O Giustizia,
e voi, troni dell'Erinni!
Leverà presto tal gemito
qualche padre, qualche madre
tormentata, poi che il tempio
565
di Giustizia crolla già.
Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Eumenides: versio Latina Ioannis Sanravii. Ioannes Sanravius, 1555.) — 526 focus
Neq; liberam uitam,
Neq; ſubditam laudabis.
Omni quidem tali robur
500
Deus præbet, alia
Alia præbent, temperatum uerò uerbum dico.
Imprietatis uerò contumelia natus tanquam uerè,
Ex ſanitate mentis omnibus uerò amica eſt
Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, Die Eumeniden: German translation. Ulrich von Wilamowitz-Moellendorff, 1919–1923.) — 526 focus
Weder unumschränkter Freiheit
noch dem Joch der Herrscherwillkür
gieb den Preis.
Alles hat bei Gott den Vorzug, was die rechte Mitte
hält.
530 Wie verschieden er uns führe, dieser Spruch trifft
immer zu.
English (E. D. A. Morshead, 1889, second edition) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylus, The Furies — Morshead translation. Wikisource transcription; speech corresp and card milestones aligned to Smyth perseus-grc2.) — 526 focus
Praise not, O man, the life beyond control,
Nor that which bows unto a tyrant's sway.
Know that the middle way
615
Is dearest unto God, and they, thereon who wend,
They shall achieve the end;
But they who wander or to left or right
Are sinners in his sight.
Take to thy heart this one, this soothfast word—
620
Of wantonness impiety is sire;
Only from calm control and sanity unstirred
Cometh true weal, the goal of every man's desire.
German (J. J. C. Donner, 1854; OCR review) (OCR draft) Experimental (Aeschylos. Deutsch in den Versmaßen der Urschrift. Stuttgart: Hoffmann, 1854. Native Donner line citations, Smyth card correspondence, selected textual readings and metrical facsimiles. Remaining OCR differences and unattributed reading notes are documented in the linked review inventory.) — 526 focus
Nicht ein Leben schrankenlos,
500
Noch gedrückt von Zwanges Joch,
Lobe dir!
Immer die Mitte ja krönen die Himmlischen;
Andres ordnen sie anders.
Hört von mir ein treffend Wort:
505
Götterverachtung erzeugt sich den frevelnden Muth;
Aus der Gesundheit
Der Seele keimt allgeliebt,
Sehnlich erfleht, der Segen.
Dritte Gegenstrophe.
English (Smyth; revised Bannon and Nagy, CHS) (OCR draft) Experimental (CHS Primary Sources revision of Herbert Weir Smyth’s translation by Cynthia Bannon and Gregory Nagy, with transliterated Greek terms tagged and aligned to the Smyth edition.)

No corresponding passage available

Commentary

Commentary on Aeschylus: Eumenides (Aeschylus. Eumenides. Sidgwick, Arthur, editor. Oxford: Clarendon Press, 1887.)

524. ἢ ... τε is irregular :

524. whether city or man we must say in English.

526. ἀνάρχετον . (read for metre's sake), like ἀπεύχετον Cho. 625.

529. παντὶ μέσῳ , ever to the mean god gives success: a common Greek maxim: so Ag. 378 ἔστω δ᾽ ἀπήμαντον ὥστ᾽ ἀπαρκεῖν, ib. 466 τὸ δ᾽ ὑπερκόπως εὖ κλύειν βαρὺ κρίνω δ᾽ ἄφθονον ὄλβον, etc., the idea being that excess was dangerous: so Eur. Fr. 80 τὰ μείζω τῶν μέσων τίκτει νόσους.

530. ἐφορεύει , directs.

531. ξύμμετρον . seems best taken as timely, fitting: a rather fanciful way of saying wise. [Others take it in accord with this, i.e. with the doctrine of moderation: which is a possible meaning and may be defended: only the main point of all this chorus is the need of repressing crime and licence, and the doctrine of moderation is rather a digression.]

Critical apparatus to Eumenides (OCR draft) (Latin and Greek critical apparatus to Gottfried Hermann's 1852 edition of Eumenides.) focus

mvp-comment-359-1 πίτνει: Libri

πιτνεῖ
.

mvp-comment-360-1 ἔσθ' ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν εὖ τις φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον δειμανεῖ καθήμενον: Libri

ἔσθ' ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν εὖ τις φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον δειμαίνει καθήμενον
, nisi quod haec ultima verba,
δειμαίνει καθήμεvov
omissa sunt in Rob. Schutzius, qui olim
δειματοῖ
scribendum coniecerat, in quod etiam Franzius incidit, postea ut Wakefieldius et ego anno 1799.
δειμανεῖ
dedit. Sic etiam Abreschius, sed ille post hoc verbum ponens signum interrogandi. Sed
δειμαίνειν
nusquam est terrere. Perperam intellecti sunt Aeschylus Pers. v. 601.
φίλοι, κακῶν μὲν ὅςτις ἔμπειρος κυρεῖ, ἐπίσταται βροτοῖσιν ὡς ὅταν κλύδων κακῶν ἐπέλθῃ, πάντα δειμαίνειν φιλεῖ
, et Plato Leg. IX. p. 865. D.
λέγεται δὲ ὡς ὁ θανατωθεὶς ἄρα βιαίως, ἐν ἐλευθέρῳ φρονήματι βεβιωκώς, θυμοῦταί τε τῷ δράσαντι νεοθνὴς ὤν, καὶ φόβου καὶ δείματος ἅμα διὰ τὴν βίαιον πάθην αὐτὸς πεπληρωμένος, ὁρῶν τε τὸν ἑαυτοῦ φονέα ἐν τοῖς ἤθεσι τοῖς τῆς ἑαυτοῦ συνηθείας ἀναστρεφόμενον δειμαίνει, καὶ ταραττόμενος αὐτὸς ταράττει κατὰ δύναμιν πᾶσαν τὸν δράσαντα, μνήμην ξύμμαχον ἔχων, αὐτόν τε καὶ τὰς πράξεις αὐτοῦ
. Apud Quintum Smyrnaeum II. 499.
δειμαίνοντο
medium est, timore se corripi passi sunt. Itaque quum neque
δειμανεῖ
in illa horum versuum conformatione ferri posset, et
εὖ καί
plane supervacaneum esset, in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 83. seq. ita scribendum putavi,
ἔσθ' ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν εὐ, καὶ φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον δεῖ μένειν καθήμεvov
, nonnumquam bonum est timere, et oportet animi custodem constitutum manere. Ita legisse videtur scholiastes, cuius haec est adnotatio,
οὐ πανταχῆ τὸ δεινὸν ἀπεῖναι φρενῶν δεῖ
. Eandem coniecturam,
δεῖ μένειν
, in margine exemplaris Aldini bibliothecae Cantabrigiensis adscriptam commemorat Dobraeus Adv. II. p. 29. Nunc probabilius mihi visum est Aeschylum sic scripsisse,
ἔσθ' ὅπου τὸ δεινὸν αὖ τις φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον δειμανεῖ καθήμενον
.

mvp-comment-361-1 ξυμφέρει: omissum in Rob.

mvp-comment-362-1 ὑπὸ στένει:

ὑπὸ στένει
M. Flor. Rob. Τurn.
ὑποστένει
G. Ven. Farn. Ald. Fuerunt qui
ὑπὸ δέει
vel
ὑπὸ σθένει
scribendum putarent. Male. Hoc dicitur, conducit rebus angustis coactum sapere.

mvp-comment-363-1 τίς δὲ μηδὲν ἐν δέει καρδίαν ἔτ᾽ ἀνατρέφων, ἢ πόλις βροτός θ' ὁμοίως, ἔτ᾽ ἂν σέβοι δίκαν;: Libri

ἐν φάει καρδίαν ἀνατρέφων
. Ιd scholiastes interpretatur λαμπρότητι καὶ ὀρθότητι φρενῶν, ut
καρδίας
legisse videatur, quod Canterus aliique receperunt. Hoc minime probandum est. Rectissime Auratus
ἐν δέει
. Quae deest syllaba, eam non recte in Opusc. VI. 2. p. 83. inserto
ἄν
post
καρδίαν
supplendam esse existimavi. In ultimo huius strophae versu
σέβει
Μ. Ceteri
σέβοι
. Denique
δίκας
G. Ald. Rob. Turn.
δίκαν
Victorius, ex M. ut videtur. Sic etiam Ven. et, ut videtur, Flor. Farn. Scripsi
τίς δὲ μηδὲν ἐν δέει καρδίαν ἔτ᾽ ἀνατρέφων, ἢ πόλις βροτός θ' ὁμοίως, ἔτ᾽ ἂν σέβοι δίκαν;

mvp-comment-364-1 ἀνάρχετον:

μήτ' ἄναρκτον βίον
M. G. Ald. Rob. Τurn.
μήτ' ἀνάρκετον β.
Farn.
μήτ' ἀνάρκητον β.
Ven. (sic Ven.) Flor.
μήτ' ἄναρκτον οὖν βίον
Heathius. Recte videtur Wieselerus scribendum censuisse
μήτ' ἀνάρχετον βίον
, ut
ἀπεύχετον
Aeschylus dixit in Choeph. v. 149. et 615.

mvp-comment-365-1 παντὶ:

παντὶ
Pauwius. Libri
ἅπαντι
.

mvp-comment-366-1 ἀλλ᾽ ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει: Deinde error Aldinae,

μέτῳ τὸ κράτος
, fecit ut Turnebus daret
μὲν ὅτῳ τὸ κράτος
. Deinde
ἄλλα ἄλλαι δ' ἐφορεύει
Μ.
ἄλλα ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει
Ven. Flor. Farn.
ἄλλα ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει
Rob.
ἄλλα ἄλλα διεφορεύει
G. deleto accentu gravi, qui in
άλλα
ad ultimam syllabam adscriptus fuerat.
άλλα ἄλλα διεφορεύει
Ald. Turn. Scribendum esse
ἀλλ᾽ ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει
Wellauerus vidit. Hoc dicit poeta, omni medio deus primatum concessit: alia enim aliter gubernat, i. e. alia aliis rebus pro suo arbitrio attribuit. Scholiastes quid in mente habuerit, non ausim dicere. Verba eius haec sunt,
ἄλλα ἄλλως ἐφορᾷ ὁ Θεός· ἔσθ' ὅπη δέους
. Abreschius et Heathius scripsisse eum putaverunt
ἔσθ' ὅπη δέος
, idque ad v. 510. rettulerunt.

mvp-comment-367-1 δυςσεβίας:

δυςσεβίας
Porsonus, et sic Farn. in quo ιωνικόν adscriptum est.
δισσεβείας
Rob. Ceteri
δυσσεβείας
.

mvp-comment-368-1 ὑγιείας:

ὑγείας
Rob.

mvp-comment-369-1 αὖ φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος: Libri

φρενῶν ὁ πᾶσι φίλος
. Heathio
πᾶσιν
scribenti olim obtemperavi, ut ceteri editores. Sed displicet hoc metrum hic prae eo quod in antistrophico versu libri habent,
δωμάτων ἐπιστροφάς
. Quare scripsi
* αὖ * φρενῶν ὁ πάμφιλος
.

mvp-comment-370-1 καὶ:

τε καὶ
pro
καὶ
Farn. Habet enim in antistrophicis versibus
καὶ ξενοτίμους γε δωμάτων ἐπιστροφάς
.

Commentary on the Eumenides (OCR draft) (Brief English notes on Aeschylus' Eumenides by F. A. Paley, 1885.) focus

mvp-comment-164-1 ἔσθ᾽ ὅπου] ‘There are cases in which the dread of retribution should remain enthroned in the heart, keeping a salutary watch even over men's minds (as well as over their actions).' For δεῖ μένειν the Med. has δειμαίνει, but the Schol.

οὐ πανταχὴ τὸ δεινὸν ἀπεῖναι φρενῶν δεῖ.
The necessity of some moral control is here strongly inculcated; for without having anything to dread neither city nor private citizen would continue to respect justice.

mvp-comment-165-1 ὑπὸ στένει] through suffering. This doctrine is enlarged upon in Ag. 170 seqq.

mvp-comment-166-1 μηδέν] Supply δεινὸν from v. 491. In the next verse the metre of v. 489 suggests καρδίας ἂν ἀνατρέφων, ‘if he cherishes no fear in the gaiety of his heart, but thinks all will be well however he may act. - ὁμοίως, as he would do were he in constant fear of punishment.

mvp-comment-167-1 ἀνάρχετον = ἄναρκτον (the MS. reading, corrected by Wieseler) may be compared with ἀπεύχετον = ἄπευκτον, Cho. 614 . Hesych.

ἄναρκτον· ἀνυπότακτον, οὗ οὐδεὶς ἦρξε.
«The poet here advises the via media in politics, wishing perhaps to warn the party of Pericles to be moderate in their reforms.

mvp-comment-168-1 ἄλλ᾿ ἄλλᾳ] 'But other things (viz. whatever is in extreme) he regards differently, or with disfavour. The more ordinary meaning of the phrase, like alia aliter, is here inapplicable.

mvp-comment-169-1 ξύμμετρον] concise, Schol.

σύντομον.
He sums up in a brief maxim the doctrine given at length in Ag. 732 seqq. This is a warning not to overthrow time-honoured institutions, like the court of the Areopagus.

Selected scholia accompanying Blass's Eumenides (OCR draft) (The mixed Greek, Latin, and German scholia register printed with Friedrich Blass's 1907 edition, aligned to O. L. Smith's later recensional editions.) focus

mvp-comment-203-1 οὐ πανταχῆι τὸ δεινὸν ἀπεῖναι φρενῶν δεῖ.

mvp-comment-204-1 ὥστε καθήμενον ὑπὸ στένει σωφρονεῖν. ὡσεὶ ἔλεγεν ὑπὸ τῶι δέει. ἔστι δὲ ἀπ᾿ εὐθείας τῆς τὸ στένος.

mvp-comment-205-1 λαμπρότητι, ὀρθότητι φρενῶν.

mvp-comment-206-1 ἀλλὰ τὸν (Rob. f. τῶν) ἠρέμα τούτων ἐφαπτόμενον· παρόσον αἱ μὲν παντάπασι τυραννούμενοι κακῶς βιοῦσιν, οἱ δὲ ἄναρχοι πονηρῶς.

mvp-comment-209-1 ἄλλα ἄλλως ἐφορᾶι ὁ θεός. ἔσθ᾽ ὅπη(ι) δέους (zu 516, Weckl.).

mvp-comment-210-1 σύντομον.

mvp-comment-211-1 ὕβριν γεννῶσα. οἱ γὰρ ἀρξάμενοι τοῦ θείου καταφρονεῖν ὑβρίζουσι τοὺς ἀνθρώπους.

mvp-comment-212-1 ἐκ δ᾽ ὑγιείας φρενῶν: ἐκ τοῦ ὀρθὰς ἔχειν φρένας. νόσον δὲ φρενῶν τὴν δυσσέβειάν φησιν, ὑγίειαν δὲ ἐξ ἧς ἂν εἴη τιμή· ἐξ ἐκείνης δὲ ὕβρις.

Wecklein’s commentary on Eumenides (1888; German; OCR draft) (Explanatory commentary, pp. 251–322; HW42J8 and HXJHA8 OCR collated, with missing comparison pages 294–295 explicitly marked. Unresolved OCR and provisional reference mappings are explicitly marked.) focus

mvp-comment-277-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 287

mvp-comment-277-2 zweites Stasimon: Der Umsturz der alten Satzungen durch den Sieg des Muttermörders müfste schreckliche Zügellosigkeit und sittliche Verwilderung zur Folge haben, da man für Mord und blu- tige Mifshandlungen keinen Rächer mehr zu fürchten hätte. Furcht mufs herrschen; ohne Furcht kann kein Recht bestehen. Keine Gewaltherrschaft, aber auch keine Gesetzlosigkeit! Das Richtige liegt in der Mitte. Diese rechte Mitte hängt zusammen mit Gesundheit des Geistes, während Gottlosigkeit des Sinnes Übermut und damit Zuchtlosigkeit oder Gewaltherrschaft erzeugt ( ὕβρις φυτεύει τύραννον Soph. Oed. T.873 ). Drum übe man Recht, ehre die Eltern und achte das Gastrecht. Wem diese Rechtlichkeit aus innerer Überzeugung hervorgeht, der wird nicht unbeglückt sein; jedenfalls wird er nie ganz zu Grunde gehen. Für den Frevler aber wird über kurz oder lang die Stunde der Demütigung kommen; dann wird niemand sein Flehen erhören; die Gottheit wird sich vielmehr seines Untergangs freuen und sein früherer Glanz wird für alle Zeit verschollen und vergessen sein.

mvp-comment-286-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-286-2 πίτνει δόμος δίκας: Cho. 643

δίκας ἐρείδεται πυθμήν
und oben zu 163.

mvp-comment-287-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-287-2 Gar manchmal ist die Furcht wohlgethan. Cho. 337

τί τῶνδ᾽ εὖς

mvp-comment-288-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-288-2 φρενῶν ἐπίσκοπον, über den Sinn wachend (die Furcht mufs als Wächterin der Seele niedergesetzt bleiben).

mvp-comment-289-1 1

mvp-comment-289-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-289-3 conducit rebus angustis coactum sapere (Hermann). Ag.190

καὶ παρ᾽ ἄκοντας ἦλθε σωφρονεῖν.

mvp-comment-290-1 2

mvp-comment-290-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-290-3 Vgl. 702 τίς γὰρ δεδοικὼς μηδὲν ἔνδικος βροτῶν;

mvp-comment-291-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-291-2 ἢ πόλις βροτός τε (d. i. εἴτε πόλις εἴτε ἰδιώτης) für ἢ πόλις ἢ βροτός oder πόλις τε βροτός τε wie Hom. Β 289 ὥστε γὰρ ἢ παῖδες νεαροὶ χῆραί τε γυναῖκες ἀλλήλοισιν ὀδύρονται.

mvp-comment-292-1 3

mvp-comment-292-2 Wecklein 1888, p. 289

mvp-comment-292-3 Vgl. 699 ff. ἀνάρχετος für ἄναρκτος wie ἀπεύχετος für ἄπευκτος, πανάρκετος und ἀμάχετος bei Aschylos, ἀγάμετος bei Sophokles.

mvp-comment-292-4 4

mvp-comment-293-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 290

mvp-comment-293-2 μέσον, die Mitte zwischen zwei Extremen, das rechte Mafs ( μέτριον). Vgl. zu Ag. 413 , Theogn. 335 μηδὲν ἄγαν σπεύδειν· πάντων μέσ᾽ ἄριστα, Pind. Pyth. ΧΙ 53 τῶν γὰρ ἂμ πόλιν εὑρίσκων τὰ μέσσα μάσσονι σὺν ὄλβῳ τεθαλότα μέμφομ' αἶσαν τυραννίδων, Eur. Med. 125

τῶν γὰρ μετρίων πρῶτα μὲν εἰπεῖν τοὔνομα νικᾷ χρῆσθαί τε μακρῷ λῷστα βροτοῖσιν
. — ἄλλ᾽ ἄλλα δ᾽ ἐφορεύει dient nur zur Hebung des Hauptgedankens wie 653 τὰ δ᾽ ἄλλα πάντ᾽ ἄνω τε καὶ κάτω στρέφων τίθησιν κτέ. Der Mitte verleiht Gott gewifs immer den Vorzug, während er sonst das eine auf diese, das andere auf jene Weise ansieht, d. h. steht das günstige Urteil der Gottheit über irgend etwas fest, so ist dieses die rechte Mitte. Vgl. auch zu Ag. 413 und über die Stellung von dé ebd. 744.

mvp-comment-294-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 290

mvp-comment-294-2 In Ubereinstimmung damit steht der Satz, den ich ausspreche.

mvp-comment-295-1 Wecklein 1888, p. 290

mvp-comment-295-2 Der gleiche Gedanke wie Ag. 755 ff.

τέκος
wie τέκνον Cho. 645
τεκνοῦσθαι, τίκτει
 Ag. 751, 756.

Commentary (Arthur Sidgwick, 1887) (OCR draft) (Arthur Sidgwick's commentary on the Eumenides, aligned to the canonical Greek text.) focus

mvp-sidgwick-245-1-1 Somewhere should fear abide enthroned, watching the heart of man; tis well to be chastened with suffering.

mvp-sidgwick-245-2-1 The doctrine that suffering brings wisdom is a favourite Aeschylean maxim,

τὸν πάθει μάθος θέντα κυρίως ἔχειν
Ag. 177 .

mvp-sidgwick-246-1-1 The MSS. read :

τίς δὲ μηδὲν ἐν φάει
καρδίαν ἀνατρέφων
ἢ πόλις, κ.τ.λ.
The general sense is plain : who, if he have nought to fear will any longer be just? But the text as it stands is corrupt, and as it is easy to rewrite the two lines to give the right sense, there are a vast number of suggestions, none convincing ;—

mvp-sidgwick-246-2-1 (1) Some (Pal. Well. others) retain the first line and read καρδίας: who, if he cherish no [fear] in the gaiety of his heart..., but it is hardly credible that the principal idea, fear should be understood from the last stanza: and therefore-

mvp-sidgwick-246-3-1 (2) The best emendation (without too much alteration) is the old one of Auratus (Herm. Weckl. Schütz. D.)-

τίς δὲ μηδὲν ἐν δέει
καρδίαν ἀνατρέφων, κ.τ.λ.
who, if he do not train his heart in fear, etc.... There is a further question whether we should keep l. 522
κᾶρδῖ- | ᾶν ӑ- | νᾱτρε- | φῶν or make the correspondence with l. 512
exact, by inserting ἄν; κᾱρδῐ- | ᾱν ᾰν | ἄνᾰτρě- | φῶν. It is perhaps better to insert the av : though the thrice repeated syllable -av- is a little rough.

ἢ ... τε is irregular :

whether city or man we must say in English.

ἀνάρχετον . (read for metre's sake), like

ἀπεύχετον
Cho. 625 .

παντὶ μέσῳ , ever to the mean god gives success: a common Greek maxim: so Ag. 378

ἔστω δ᾽ ἀπήμαντον ὥστ᾽ ἀπαρκεῖν,
ib. 466
τὸ δ᾽ ὑπερκόπως εὖ κλύειν βαρὺ κρίνω δ᾽ ἄφθονον ὄλβον,
 etc., the idea being that excess was dangerous: so Eur. Fr. 80 τὰ μείζω τῶν μέσων τίκτει νόσους.

ἐφορεύει , directs.

ξύμμετρον . seems best taken as timely, fitting: a rather fanciful way of saying wise. [Others take it in accord with this, i.e. with the doctrine of moderation: which is a possible meaning and may be defended: only the main point of all this chorus is the need of repressing crime and licence, and the doctrine of moderation is rather a digression.]

mvp-sidgwick-252-1-1 This notion, that crime leads to new crime, is familiar from the Agamemnon:

τὸ δυσσεβές γὰρ ἔργον μετὰ μὲν πλείονα τίκτει
l. 759 ,
ὕβρις παλαιὰ νεάζουσαν ὕβριν τίκτει
l. 763 .

mvp-sidgwick-253-1-1 I take H.'s correction πάμφιλος for πᾶσι φίλος and Hartung's δόμων for

δωμάτων
l. 547 : the alternative (to read πᾶσιν, and change the order of δωμάτων ἐπιστροφάς) really alters the text as much, and produces a less likely metre.